(CNN) - Photos of Sen. Rand Paul in the Hamptons on Saturday raised some questions about the Kentucky Republican, who had previously said he couldn't attend a social conservative event in Iowa over the weekend because he had a "family commitment."

As it turns out, the likely presidential candidate was photographed in East Hampton at a fundraiser for a public library.

The New York Post reported that actor Alec Baldwin co-sponsored the event, and Fox News host Bill O'Reilly and former New York Gov. George Pataki were also at the event.

Paul and his wife were invited to the fundraiser by Kate Hartson of Hachette Book Group, which is publishing a book by Paul's wife, Kelley Ashby Paul, next year. (The same publisher released Rand Paul's last two books, as well.)

"I'm doing a book that's a collection of essays about women of inspiration," Kelley Paul told Bloomberg, adding that the book is "mainly about my grandmother."

She and her husband were spending the weekend with Hartson, in part to work on photos for the book, Kelley Paul added.

Doug Stafford, Paul's political adviser, confirmed that Paul's wife has a book coming out next year.

Stafford said Paul "and his family stopped by an author's event Saturday night at the request of their publisher/editor" while they were in New York for the "family commitment."

Paul had been in Iowa for three days last week on a campaign-style tour across the state. But he left town before the Family Leader Summit, a popular event among social conservatives and a common stop for presidential hopefuls.

Before the summit, Paul's staff cited a family commitment as his reason for not planning to attend the event, though they did not say where he was going. He sent a video–a compilation of his recent anti-abortion speeches–to be shown at the summit.

Asked last week about his thought process behind skipping the Family Leader event, Paul said he simply had other things on his calendar.

"No real thought process, just other things I gotta do," he told reporters in Okoboji, Iowa. "I gotta be in Kentucky for several events, and then I'm going to Guatemala for a week to do surgery down in Guatemala. So it's just a matter of trying to get everything in, and nothing in particular."

This man is truly beyond voter appeal and fast working his way into Pawlenty yawn territory.

August 13, 2014 01:38 pm at 1:38 pm |

Rudy NYC

Stafford said Paul "and his family stopped by an author's event Saturday night at the request of their publisher/editor" while they were in New York for the "family commitment."
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Why doesn't he just come out say it like it is? His "family commitment" was the photo shoot for his wife's book. He cannot do it because telling the truth is just so harder than spinning the facts. Gotta keep up the practice, stay in shape.

August 13, 2014 01:39 pm at 1:39 pm |

montague

I love the guy.,, I think hes great,i really hope he runs for president

Don't these GOP LOSERS ever work????? Oh yea, their on GOVERMENT WELLFAIR but their AGAINEST big goverment . This QUACK is supposed to be a doctor of some kind?????

August 13, 2014 01:55 pm at 1:55 pm |

Rudy NYC

montague

Hs wifee writing a book shes a family member....Dosent that qulify
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I'd think so, but telling the truth is just not in his veins. Randy don't play that.

August 13, 2014 02:01 pm at 2:01 pm |

Lizzie

Rusty Krus, George Kelley
"Rules for radicals" by Saul Alynski, has some more good points you could use.

August 13, 2014 02:02 pm at 2:02 pm |

Lizzie

Reading all those posts, reminds me of ISIS, join with us or we will destroy you.

August 13, 2014 02:05 pm at 2:05 pm |

Thomas

Rand Paul is a child of the Aqua Buddha !

He thinks he's hip , yet he don't have the swing.

August 13, 2014 02:05 pm at 2:05 pm |

Lynda/Minnesota

montague
Hs wifee writing a book shes a family member....Dosent that qulify
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Oh, absolutely it counts, montague. It matters to Rand Paul whose coattails he "qualifies" himself on – be it his wife or his father. I suspect that without daddy Ron Paul ... Rand Paul would NEVER have been voted in as a United States senator. He uses his libertarian status much the same as he uses everything and everyone else: without compunction or moral turpitude.

August 13, 2014 02:09 pm at 2:09 pm |

Dumbas[R]ocks

"No real thought process, just other things I gotta do"

Now that's a deep-seated [R] theme that the [R]s have been holding on to for at least 2 decades now.

August 13, 2014 02:13 pm at 2:13 pm |

Dumbas[R]ocks

"don't you guys want to live in a free country" Yes montague I do. I want to live in a country free of rightwing idiots......so the adults can get on with running the country and solving the problems the idiots created.

Lizzie says:
August 13, 2014 02:05 pm at 2:05 pm
Reading all those posts, reminds me of ISIS, join with us or we will destroy you.

Actually Lizzie, that's the GOP. Vote how we say vote or we will primary you. If you don't believe me ask those Congresspeople that voted for gun background checks in CO. Them doing the right thing got them straight thrown out of Congress.